Not sure what to do on your next vacation? Check out this list of the top 15 activities in North Dakota, USA that you won’t want to miss! From strolling around and exploring parks, all the way up through sightseeing tours and historical landmarks – we’ve got something for everyone. Get ready for an unforgettable experience!
The Best Thing To Do in North Dakota

Theodore Roosevelt National Park
- Address: North Dakota, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.8 (6181)
- Phone: +1 701-623-4466
- Website: Link
- Opening hours:
Monday: Open 24 hoursTuesday: Open 24 hoursWednesday: Open 24 hoursThursday: Open 24 hoursFriday: Open 24 hoursSaturday: Open 24 hoursSunday: Open 24 hours
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Top 15 Things To Do North Dakota, USA

Red River Zoo
- Address: 4255 23rd Ave S, Fargo, ND 58104, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.4 (1738)
- Phone: +1 701-277-9240
- Website: Link
- Opening hours:
Monday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PMTuesday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PMWednesday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PMThursday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PMFriday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PMSaturday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PMSunday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Reviews:
Appreciating this zoo is all about proper expectations. It’s cute. Not big. Staff is very nice. Kid friendly with interactive play areas. My 10 and 7 year old loved the farm animals and attractions but I’m not sure a rural/local family would have the same experience. We did everything in about 90 minutes on a cold April day when nobody else was in the park. $40 for a family of four.By Josh Orendi (10 months ago)I love to visit zoos!! I liked this zoo. It’s small. When we first walked in the immediate 2 enclosures were missing their animals. The fox’s were asleep. Not a good start. Also I was excited to ride the carousel and it was closed for maintenance. What?? We walked into the building and there was just a girl sitting there like a bump on a log. NO workers working on the carousel! On a positive note I really enjoyed seeing the endangered animals and the work that the zoo is doing to protect them. Worth the visit? I guess yes.By Cynthia Liss (5 months ago)The Red River Zoo might not be the largest, but it is very well laid out and has a fun assortment of animals! They also have a petting zoo where you can feed alpaca, goats, and a cow (though she wasn’t feeling very sociable on the day we visited, lol)! They also do a LOT of conservation work that I never would have expected. Definitely a good way to spend an afternoon! I would recommend going in spring or fall, as during summer it’s very hot and most animals seemed content to sleep away the heat, but it was very fun nevertheless.By Rosalyn Foreman (7 months ago)Nice zoo. Animals seem well taken care of, has a nice gift shop, and employees seemed to care. It is rather small, and doesn’t have a lot of animals. I’d say it’s a good place to take your younger children. Had a nice little play area where kids can play when they have seen all the animals. The carousel was closed, and they don’t know if they will have it open again. All in all, a nice zoo.By Uriah Reynolds (Rino) (5 months ago)Cute zoo but very small-went thru the entire zoo in under 90 minutes. Trip a bit ruined by a massive group of small children in blue shirts not properly watched after who screamed non stop and would run right in front of us or others trying to look at exhibits. Not a great way to teach manners. Some exhibits were empty. Only saw one wolf. Expensive for what’s there, have been to better zoos that were free. Kookaburra flew right into the glass which was sad to see.By Nicole P (6 months ago)
Dakota Zoo
- Address: 602 Riverside Park Rd, Bismarck, ND 58504, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.6 (1427)
- Phone: +1 701-223-7543
- Website: Link
- Opening hours:
Monday: ClosedTuesday: ClosedWednesday: ClosedThursday: ClosedFriday: 1:00 – 5:00 PMSaturday: 1:00 – 5:00 PMSunday: 1:00 – 5:00 PM
- Reviews:
For a small state this Zoo was awesome. I absolutely loved how the animals were up close & were all out for everyone to see. This Zoo looks small from the outside but is really big. I love the feeling that they are all about the animals rather than profit. Make sure to take quarters cause you can buy pet food for the goats to eat which is so much fun for all ages.By Lynn C (8 months ago)Visited from out of town and spent family time at the Dakota Zoo.
I’m used to bigger zoos that are very crowded and the animals are 20 feet away. I was expecting to see animals I see at my home zoo; I was wrong. The variety and habitats of the animals is fun and interesting.
The zoo was not crowded. My family could wander around at their own pace. The zoo is very well covered by trees which provide shade in many places. The paths are a bit run down, but fine for wheelchairs and strollers. We did not have a map of the zoo which made it confusing to me. My daughter knew her way around and there are info signs periodically to show the exhibit locations.
I did not see many food stands that I’m used to in bigger zoos. I think everything is near the entrance. There is a petting zoo at the entrance as well.
By Adrian Nagle (7 months ago)Everyone was super nice and shared a lot of cool info about the animals. Got a nice tour along with getting the chance to pet snakes! Only issue I would say I had was almost tripping a few times on the uneven paths. The rest of the park was very nice and was bigger than I thought it was gonna be with lots of cool animals! Thank you for the awesome visit!By Austen C (7 months ago)Omgeee I loved it maybe because I don’t see animals like that in Florida but this zoo is amazing. We saw camels , bisons , donkeys , grizzly bears, wolfs and the list goes on . It was very spacious and no big crowds which was another plus. I love this zoo!!By Hiya Leah (8 months ago)love this place. visited on tuesday for the first time and lady at the front was very accommodating. there’s a huge variety of animals. even though i came on a weekday, it was somewhat crowded so that’s nice. there’s a cute gift shop by the front that’s surprisingly cheap from other places. if you want to go on a train ride on a weekday, i suggest coming after 4 pm because most of the drivers are high schoolers i believe? btw if you buy food for the farm animals, make sure you use a dispenser that’s somewhat full, if you don’t, there’s a good chance nothing will come out but it’s no big deal. will definitely come back!By ali (7 months ago)
Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park
- Address: 4480 Fort Lincoln Rd, Mandan, ND 58554, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.7 (826)
Bonanzaville USA
- Address: 1351 Main Ave W, West Fargo, ND 58078, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.5 (544)
National Buffalo Museum
- Address: 500 17th St SE, Jamestown, ND 58401, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.6 (474)
Salem Sue
- Address: New Salem, ND 58563, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.7 (416)
Dickinson Museum Center & Badlands Dinosaur Museum
- Address: 188 Museum Dr E, Dickinson, ND 58601, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.6 (410)
Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site
- Address: 15550 ND-1804, Williston, ND 58801, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.7 (359)
White Horse Hill National Game Preserve
- Address: 2107 Park Dr, St Michael, ND 58370, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.7 (312)
Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site
- Address: 564 County Rd 37, Stanton, ND 58571, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.7 (261)
Ronald Reagan Minuteman Missile State Historic Site
- Address: 555 113 1/2 Ave NE, Cooperstown, ND 58425, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.8 (211)
Crow Flies High State Recreation Area
- Address: 10031 ND-23, New Town, ND 58763, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.6 (166)
Little Missouri State Park
- Address: 910 103rd Ave NW, Killdeer, ND 58640, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.4 (140)
Scandinavian Heritage Association
- Address: 1020 S Broadway, Minot, ND 58701, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.7 (134)
Badlands Overlook
- Address: Medora, ND 58645, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.9 (116)
That’s it for our list of the best things to do in North Dakota! If you have any arguments or additional information, please leave a comment. We love to hear from our readers too!
This place was beautiful! There are many places to stop your car and get out and hike around! The day we went part of the road was completely closed due to construction.
Right off the road, you can stop and see prairie dogs, bison, and wild horses!
Definitely a nation park must do bucket list park!!
This national park is a must see! The scenery paired with the wildlife within the park is amazing! While there, we saw wildlife such as bison, wild horses and prairie dogs. We went right before the sunset and the wildlife was very active and fun to witness. If you are thinking about making a stop here, 100% do! The wildlife you will see and the pictures you will take will be amazing and it will be a great time for anyone and everyone. This park was rated a 4/5 stars simply because the entrance was very tricky to find but other than that it was an amazing stop on our trip!
This is an excellent national park. There are three different units. There are many visitor centers, trailheads, parking areas, and restrooms. There is beautiful scenery and defined trails. There are plenty of maps and signage. There are excellent opportunities for wildlife viewing of prairie dog colonies and bison herds. Overall this is an amazing underrated national park.
This is a small but beautiful national park. There are hiking trails for many skill levels. The bison are easy to find and fun to watch. The sunsets in the wide open sky are breathtaking. Presentations by the rangers are interesting and informative. The park is not crowded and everything is kept very clean. Bring lots of bug spray and water.
This is one of the most beautiful places in the US! Has some of the best views in the country!!!
It’s a must to visit. I say it’s even more beautiful than the SD badlands!
Lots of wildlife. Wild bison makes the trip more fun. Also, I have never seen wild horses before, but I did here,l. Absolutely beautiful animals. There are also a lot of Mule Deer. Most of them are skittish, but some of the seem to actually want to approach you and say hi. They tend to come out for sun set, so if you want to see deer, go around then.
We went on the loop road, and it was beautiful. Buck Hill, the second highest point in the park, had the most breath taking view of the park. Part of the loop road was closed near the end, so we had to drive all the way back the way we came. That added almost 30mon-1hr to our trip, which made us get back later, but it doesn’t really matter. We had a lot of fun seeing the animals on the way back.
Again, this is a must go to.